The Boomtown Rats crawled into the semi-darkness in Garry Roberts' kitchen in Dublin in 1975. Guitarist Garry and drummer Simon shared a passion for raw rhythm and blues and rock music and had played together since forming a band while still at school. Now, over three decades on, the Rats are back to reclaim their lair as true pioneers of New Wave.
The Boomtown Rats began as a hard-hitting, guitar-driven Rhythm and Blues band with an honest, stripped-down sound. Their first album was regarded as a classic R'n'B offering - likened to the early Stones and Dr Feelgood. Their debut single ‘Looking After Number One’ smashed into the UK charts in 1977. This was the start of a succession of hits spanning the next decade.
Hit after hit followed with ‘Mary Of The Fourth Form’, ‘She’s So Modern’ and ‘Like Clockwork’. In 1978 the band released ‘Rat Trap’ - regarded as the first New Wave Number One - which shot straight to the top slot of the singles chart that year and remained in the charts for 15 weeks. The band's second album ‘A Tonic For The Troops’ also hit number one, staying in the album charts for an amazing 47 weeks. ‘Tonic…’ was also voted the Number One album by Melody Maker readers. The Rats had well and truly arrived.
1979 saw the massive international Number One, ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ followed by four further major Top Five hits - ‘Diamond Smiles’, ‘Someone’s Looking At You’ and ‘Banana Republic’. The band continued having million selling albums and chart success up until they split in 1986.
Garry Roberts and Simon Crowe have put their powerful alliance together once again to re-ignite and develop the essence of their music with driving rhythms and chunky guitar riffs. The new band still performs all the classic hits, along with ‘live’ favourites like ‘Joey’s On The Street Again’ and ‘Neon Heart’. Their music still retains the Rats’ timeless appeal and is a potent reminder of how this dynamic outfit is as relevant today as it ever was.
THE VIBRATORS: With a career lasting thirty-one years, vocalist/guitarist IAN "KNOX" CARNOCHAN, bassist PAT COLLIER, guitarist JOHN ELLIS and drummer EDDIE originally formed the VIBRATORS in February 1976, and their first gig was supporting THE STRANGLERS at Hornsey Art College in North London. They supported THE SEX PISTOLS at the 100 CLUB and were one of the bands playing at the now legendary 100 CLUB PUNK ROCK FESTIVAL, where as well as doing their own set they supported guitar hero CHRIS SPEDDING. CHRIS recommended the band to his then record company, RAK. The band's debut single "WE VIBRATE" came out in November (one of the first punk singles) and was followed two weeks later by CHRIS SPEDDING'S "POGO DANCING" single with the VIBRATORS as the band on that. Early in 1977 the band supported IGGY POP (with DAVID BOWIE on keyboards) on a UK tour, then moved to EPIC RECORDS and released the classic "BABY BABY" single, followed by their first album "PURE MANIA" which spent five weeks in the UK Top 75, peaking at number 49. A second single from the album - but a live version - "LONDON GIRLS", came out in the summer of 1977 and was promoted by a tour supporting ex-MOTT THE HOOPLE mainman IAN HUNTER. In their long career the VIBRATORS have toured with the likes of IGGY POP, IAN HUNTER, THE FLAMING GROOVIES to name but a few. Now in 2008 the band celebrate THIRTY-TWO YEARS of making records and touring heavily, approaching 120 gigs a year. Get ready for another 32 years of PURE MANIA!

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